Why English Studies?
Could you tell me little about yourself and what you did before studying in the English Studies programme?
I’m from Spain, where I did a BA in English Studies in Valencia, and a master’s in Editing and Publishing in Madrid. Before coming here, I was doing freelance work for different publishers in Spain and working in the book industry, for example in the English section of the biggest international bookstore in Madrid. I found that I wanted to continue studying and began looking into English Studies programmes.
Why did you decide to study in the English Studies programme at the University of Helsinki?
I started looking for master’s programmes because I began thinking about doing a PhD. Wherever I was going to study, it would be English Studies, that’s just what I’m into. Initially I was just looking at universities in Madrid, but then my brother who had been on an exchange to Finland suggested I look into the University of Helsinki because I really liked the city when I visited. It seemed like a very good university with a different approach to education from what I have encountered in Spain, so I decided to apply.
What topics have you been focusing on during your MA studies? Have there been any standout courses?
Even though the flexibility to take other courses is something that I really appreciate about the programme, I've been focusing mostly on literature. Books are just my thing.
One course that really surprised me was Metaphysical Poetry last spring. I really like poetry, but I tend to be more interested in contemporary stuff, so I wasn’t sure if it would be useful for what I’m doing or even in line with my personal interests. I decided to take it because another student had taken a similar course taught by the same teacher and recommended it, and I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot!
What have been the best parts of the MA programme for you?
Coming back to how differently education works in Spain, the flexibility is definitely great. We don't get as much choice as you do here – usually we would just have a selection of courses that you can choose from, and you can’t really take anything other than those. Here you have a certain number of credits you need to take from the programme, but for the rest you can do what you like. I took a programming course, for example, which was a really great experience, and I could have taken more courses from other programmes and departments as well if I wanted.
This flexibility is something that I really appreciate – I feel like that would help anyone really come to their full potential, right? We are not people with just a single interest, even if I can be pretty single-minded about that sometimes.
Student life in Helsinki
What does a typical weekday look like for you?
In terms of studying, it’s lot of reading and writing. That’s another thing that surprised me coming from Spain because we had final exams for everything, and here I had all these weekly writing tasks. It was quite difficult to adjust to for the first few weeks, because I was used to only submitting finalised works that would determine your grade.
I really appreciate that we have to write so much, and especially having had a break from academic life it was nice to see that I still had it in me. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece every week, it’s more important that you are actively engaging with the material.
This semester I’ve been quite a bit busier because I’ve had a traineeship at the Department of Languages. I’ve had to juggle that with courses, writing my master’s thesis, and I’m still doing freelance work for publishers in Spain. Especially at the start of my traineeship I had so many different tasks coming in from all across the Department of Languages, which got a little overwhelming, but I quickly learned to manage my workload better. The main things that helped me structure it all were coming to university to work a bit earlier instead of working from home and doing more work at the beginning of the week to make time for my studies towards the end.
Have you found anything challenging during your studies?
There’s always something to do, so it can be difficult to find some time for myself every week. I do think I am doing better with that this semester, because I can see I am doing so much and that makes it easier to forgive myself for taking some time to rest. Even if I am busy, I will carve out some time to spend with friends doing fun stuff.
With my traineeship as well, I have the freedom to say no to some things if I have too much on my plate, or I will negotiate deadlines before taking on more work. It took me some time to get used to this flexibility, because the working culture here is quite different – everyone is taking into account that I am doing tasks for other people as well.
What are the city and university like for you as a student?
Student life here is very active with all the student organisations. There aren’t many student organisations in Spain, there was a debate programme, and someone might have started a book club, but nothing like this. I do think I would have engaged with that world more if I had started my university experience with these kinds of organisations, but I have still taken part in some activities with different organisations. With the weather here it’s really beneficial to have all these activities and opportunities to socialise available to you.
Helsinki is also a nice city to live in. Something that I really appreciate is the care that goes into making inside spaces very comfortable for everyone and the respect people have for spaces like libraries and coffee shops and the like. It’s pleasant and very important in a country where you can't really spend that much time outside during the winter. The university also has a lot of resources for everything you may need, there are teams for career advice and mental health and all kinds of other things.
Future prospects
What would you say to those considering applying to the English Studies programme?
If anyone is thinking about applying, they should do it. I will always encourage people to go to a different country and spend a long time there doing something, I’ve done that move several times, and while it gets tiring, it has also enriched me in so many ways. You can always decide to go back.
Another thing I would remind people of is that we are all adults at the master’s level. You can communicate with your teachers, there is a mutual respect there. If you start getting overwhelmed with work, let them know and ask for a little extra time for your projects.
What do your future plans look like?
Currently I want to finish my master’s thesis and graduate. After graduating I will probably go back to Spain and become more active in the book industry again, it's a very different side of literature and very practical. I really love the whole process, being in touch with authors and editing.
I thought about staying in Finland for a longer time, but I don’t think I can get used to the cold and darkness. I’ll definitely look into PhD programmes in Spain. Research seems extremely interesting, and I would love to teach in a university. But PhD or not, I’ll be staying active in the publishing industry.